Hauz Khas fights early morning battle against the bag, not without itches

But barely was the first conversion complete, that an irate colony president, Avinash Chand Pathak, charged upon the group terming the campaign illegal.

Accusing Pandit of hijacking the agenda of the executive residence committee, he said the committee takes “a lot of pain and care to maintain cleanliness. The MCD truck comes daily to collect garbage. And segregation of bio-degradable and non-degradable waste takes place at three gates. Also, we were just going to have a meeting in the evening to discuss the menace of poly-bags.”

Pandit was, however, quick to contradict: “There is no segregation taking place and I am going to organise it. Poly-bags keep lying around, so I want to arouse public awareness.” She added: “For a small convenience, we are paying such a heavy price. It’s a national issue and I am going to the vendors to plead that they stop using poly-bags.” At this, the president fumed: “It’s all gimmickry. I work so hard and she organises this show without my permission.”

Pathak added: “It’s not the manufacture of poly-bags I am against, it’s the disposal I am concerned about. I am for the issue, but against the way it has been organised, without my consent.”

As the argument turned bitter, residents started moving away to avoid becoming part of the issue. Pandit tried to stop them by saying, “Don’t let him bother you, it’s the issue I am concerned with, not petty politics.” Pathak too was asked to join the campaign, but he turned down the offer and left. So did a number of residents.

The little group that remained, however, went ahead with the campaign — to Hauz Khas Market. There the residents cajoled and pleaded with the vendors to give up plastic bags. Babloo, a vendor agreed to cooperate — provided the customers get their own cloth bags. Radhe Sham too deposited his haul of plastic bags after initial reluctance. “How can kilos of fruit get carried in those fancy bags? The use of plastic bags will continue till the manufacturing factories close down,” he said prophetically.

Sanjula Sharma, a customer, said: “It makes all the sense to use jute bags, but I am mostly in a hurry, so the poly-bags come handy.” At this, K.K Puri, a marketing consultant, chipped in: “It is this instinct for convenience which we have to do away with if we want our city to look better. Big paper bags should be manufactured. Once the trend begins, our colonies will be free of these shabby, unhealthy polythene bags.”

By now, some shopkeepers had already been baptised. They had paper bags handy, but these were not very popular with the customers. Said Morning Store shopkeeper: “Customers even want more than one poly-bag at times. I can’t refuse them. They are educated and know best.”

But education is more than the ability to read and write, felt the residents. It’s an ability to be sensitive enough to respond to the needs of the community, said the sensitised residents of Hauz Khas, adding: “Consumption, manufacture and disposal of polythene — everything should be banned.”